Hiring a professional real estate photographer is one of the best things that you can do to make your real estate listing stand out. However, before the photographer arrives, there are a few things that you should do to prepare your home. Proper Photography will provide you with all of the information that you need to know about preparing your home to have professional real estate photos taken. So how to prepare the house? Following these general guidelines will help to ensure that your photos turn out beautiful, increasing the likelihood that you will be able to sell or rent out your property in less time. There are more benefits to ensuring the photos look good, including the possibility to sell the property at a higher price as the listing looks professional. The better you prepare your property before the photographer arrives, the better the pictures are going to look. Remember, the photographer is hired to take the photos and make space look good through the lens. It’s not their job to clean up the mess, and they can only do so much with a house that is in poor condition. It is always best to clear the clutter out of every room because a clean space is more appealing. Get rid of anything that is cluttering the room, and when you think you are done… continue working to get rid of a few more items in the room. The goal is to create a stylish, generic room in which the buyer can picture them living in. If you include too many personal effects, such as photos, then it makes it more difficult for the buyer to imagine their things in the room. So, get rid of the distractions and eliminate any clutter that may be present. NO PETS – If you have any pets, it is best to have them out of the way during the photo shoot. Don’t let the dogs run around in the yard during the photo shoot, and any indoor animals should be moved out of each room as it is being photographed.

How to prepare the house

Exterior

Curb appeal matters, because buyers want their new home to look good on both the outside and inside. The exterior of the house is one of the first things that a person will look at when they are viewing the property on the web or any other kind of media, so it is important that you clean up around the house to make it look good. The front yard is the most important, but don’t neglect the backyard. It won’t look natural to have front yard photos of a beautifully manicured lawn and flower beds, with a backyard that is in disarray. Before the photographer arrives, you should make sure that you are letting in as much light as possible. Open up the blinds and curtains, and turn on every light in your home. All lamps and surface lights should be on, including the lights that are part of furniture and appliances such as those on the stove or built into a bookshelf. If any light bulbs are burned out, make sure to replace them and use high-wattage bulbs to make the room brighter.

Kitchen

As with other areas in the house, you want to get rid of any clutter that is visible in the room. The kitchen often collects a lot of things on the counters, but you want to make sure that the counters are as open as possible. Get rid of extra small appliances that are sitting around, as well as stacks of paper or dishes that may be placed at the end of the counter. If you have child-proof equipment that is visible on the outside of the cabinets or cupboards, it is better to remove that equipment for the photos. Clear the school notices, crayon drawings, and magnets off of the fridge. Clear away dish racks, cutting boards, tea towels, hand and dish soap bottles, cleaning products, mops, brooms and garbage cans. You can add a little decoration with a nice bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of flowers.

Living Room

As the formal sitting room in the house, it is especially important to make sure that the furniture is arranged appropriately. The goal of the room should be to create a beautiful and comfortable space. It should be an area where the potential buyer could imagine their family spending time.

Family Room

Small items are sometimes left in the living room because it is the space where the family often spends a lot of time. Collect the TV remotes, video game systems, DVDs, or any other cluttered electronic items. Also, it is a good idea to pay attention to the way the electronic cords are arranged and try to move them to a place so that they are out of sight. Clear out any toys that may have been left in the room by the kids.

Dining Room

Make sure the dining table is scrubbed, and the chairs are arranged neatly around the table. You might consider adding a nice centrepiece on the table, such as a bowl of fresh fruit or a floral arrangement. Don’t leave any extra plates or dishes on the table, and make sure that the remnants of the previous meal have been cleared away: wipe the table, sweep the floor, and mop the floor to remove any marks.

Bedrooms

Items under the beds can often be viewed in the real estate photos. Instead of trying to hide clothing and toys under the bed, move everything out of the room so that space is as open as possible. With teenager bedrooms, sometimes there are unique or usual decorations to match the personality of the child. Those decorations may need to be adjusted to make space appear more generic and neutral, instead of trendy or hipster. Remember, you want the buyer to imagine themselves as if they were in the room, and unusual themes in the bedrooms can be somewhat distracting. Look at pictures in magazines to see the way the beds are made and match the bedding accordingly. You want the bed to look beautiful and inviting. Use a nice bedspread and big, fluffy pillows that are neatly arranged at the head of the bed. If anything is sitting on the nightstand, get rid of it! Common things that need to be moved include phone chargers, tissue boxes, lip balm, a glass of water, jewellery, or anything else that is kept at your bedside.

Bathrooms

In the bathroom, everything should be moved off the counter, including makeup, razors, soap, toothbrushes, and any other beauty products. In the shower and tub, remove the shampoo, soaps, washcloths, and baby toys. The garbage cans, bathmats, laundry baskets, extra toilet paper, the toilet brush, and scales should also be moved out of the room. Finish it off by closing the toilet, and hang fresh towels on the towel rails.

And that’s about it

If your real estate photographer arrives and sees that the home has not been prepared for the photo shoot, then you might be charged a cancellation fee and be forced to reschedule. Or, the photographer might move forward with the photo shoot, but the results will be unprofessional and they will not look good on your real estate listing. It is very important that you spend the time that is needed to make sure that your home is prepared so that the photographer has something to work with. Now, you should know how to prepare the house 😉